The German pianist, Michael Rische, studied in Düsseldorf under Max Martin Stein (piano) and Milko Kelemen (composition), before continuing his musical education under Rudolf Buchbinder in Vienna. Further encouragement and advice was given by Rudolf Serkin and Pierre Boulez.

His numerous CD recordings, released by EMI, BMG, Universal and Sony, have further cemented an international reputation, and his interpretations of J.S. Bach, L.v. Beethoven, Debussy and Ravel have been rated as of unusually high quality. Particularly since his discovery of the piano concertos by Erwin Schulhoff and George Antheil (first performance on March 5, 2001 in London) Michael Rische is seen as a prominent advocate for that 20th-century music in which classical music and jazz come together. This music is also the focus of a television documentary made by the director Alexander Kluge. Riche has recorded for Arte Nova Classics two volumes of “Piano Concertos of the 1920s” with works by George Antheil, Aaron Copland, Arthur Honegger, Maurice Ravel, Erwin Schulhoff and George Gershwin. His latest CD entitled “Piano Music of the 20s” was released in the spring of 2006 by Sony, and includes piano pieces by George Antheil, Schulhoff, Gershwin and Milhaud, amongst other composers. The pianist’s recording of L.v. Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto has also attracted great attention. On this CD listeners are for the first time given the opportunity to choose between six different cadenzas

Michael Rische leads a piano class at the Musikhochschule in Cologne.

"I have nothing but praise for his

Beethoven. From Rische, as previously from Schnabel, the sonata receives a powerful, tautly organized performance, which does not in the least diminish the sonata's special qualities or eccentricities. He is a fine musician…" – Fanfare